What are perpetual access tokens?

Perpetual access tokens are a type of authentication token that does not expire under normal circumstances, unlike many other types of tokens that require regular renewal or user intervention to remain valid. For instance, platforms like Twitter and Dropbox are noted to potentially use perpetual access tokens for their OAuth authentication processes. This means that once issued, these tokens can provide ongoing access without the need for frequent user interaction to renew or refresh the token. However, it's important to understand that not all platforms offer these types of tokens; for example, Facebook's tokens do expire and do not offer refresh token mechanisms, requiring user intervention when they expire 1.

Let me know if you need more detailed information on how these tokens work or their implications in security and user experience.